This Week’s Money Map:

• 💳 3 credit cards that actually pay off for travelers

• 🚗 Is your car insurance worth it or a waste of your money?

• 🛟 Business insurance: Why one oversight could cost you everything

• 💵 Dollar-cost averaging vs. lump sum: The $21,000 gap you need to know

💳 3 credit cards that actually pay off for travelers

Your inbox is probably flooded with credit card pitches that sound too good to be true. After tracking this industry for 20 years, we can tell you these three cards actually deliver on their promises:

The new card making waves: Citi Strata Elite Card
Citi just launched its Strata Elite card, which offers 80,000 bonus ThankYou Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. That's roughly $900 worth of travel.

But here's the kicker nobody's talking about enough: Citi quietly became more useful for American Airlines fans. While it doesn't have AA as a direct transfer partner yet, its points transfer to JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific, Eva Air and Choice Hotels, giving you solid redemption options that weren't there before.

The card has a $595 annual fee, but Citi claims you can unlock almost $1,500 in value if you use it correctly. Translation: it's built for frequent travelers, not weekend warriors who take one trip a year to see grandma.

The reliable workhorse: Capital One Venture Rewards
Sometimes, the best choice isn't the flashiest one. The Capital One Venture earns up to 10 miles per dollar spent on select Capital One Travel portal purchases and two miles per dollar spent on all other purchases, plus a $300 Capital One Travel portal credit each calendar year.

What we love about this card is its simplicity. No category rotations, no spending caps on bonus categories, no headaches. You spend, you earn, you travel. Period.

The crowd favorite that delivers: Chase Sapphire Preferred
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers 75,000 bonus points after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That's about $937 worth of travel when you book through its portal, or potentially much more if you transfer to partners.

This card has been around the block, and there's a reason it keeps showing up on "best of" lists. The Ultimate Rewards ecosystem is still the gold standard for flexibility; frankly, Chase knows how to make redemptions feel worth it.

The bottom line
A signup bonus is valuable only if you can hit the spending requirement without going into debt. The best travel hack is still having money left over to actually enjoy your trip.

Ready to pick one? Check out the rest of our recommendations at MoneyGeek's travel credit card comparison, and make sure you get the most current terms before applying.

🚗 Is your car insurance worth it or a waste of your money?

Ever get that nagging feeling your car insurance is bending you over financially, but without the courtesy of a thank-you? You're not alone.

With inflation refusing to cool down, auto thefts still surging in big cities and insurers raising rates, most people are bleeding money on premiums that might not even cover real damage when it counts. Let's fix that.

What even is “cheap” insurance?
If you haven't checked your car insurance bill since Biden settled into the White House, brace yourself. MoneyGeek’s updated 2025 data shows the cheapest premium for full coverage is $97 per month or $1,164 per year.

On the flip side, if you're just carrying the barebones liability-only coverage, providers offer it for as low as $43 monthly, according to this breakdown of the cheapest liability-only coverage.

So how do you know if you’re getting screwed?

• Did your premium go up, but your life didn’t change?
  No accidents, no tickets, same car — just higher costs? That’s not “risk assessment.” That’s highway robbery.

• Are you still with the same company from 5 years ago?
  Loyalty doesn't pay in this game. In fact, it often costs you more. Insurers bet you're too lazy to shop around. Prove them wrong.

• Do you even know what’s in your coverage?
  Most people don't. Full coverage? Liability only? Gap insurance? Rental reimbursement? If it reads like Egyptian hieroglyphs, it's time to decode that policy and figure out if you're paying for stuff you don't need — or worse, not paying for stuff you do.

• Are you bundling smartly?
  Auto + renters/home bundle equals easy discounts. If your insurer isn't cutting you a break for being a two-policy household, it's freeloading.

Why does this matter, especially in 2025?
The car insurance market is messier than a toddler with a Sharpie. Vehicle prices are still high due to pandemic shortages, and natural disasters are more frequent, meaning more claims and higher costs. It's the perfect storm for quietly overcharging folks who don't pay attention.

What you can do right now

1. Get online quotes from at least three other providers
   You’ll be shocked at how prices vary. Don't just take their word — run your ZIP code through the comparison tools.

2. Raise your deductible, if you can
   Raising that $500 deductible to $1,000 can shave off a chunk of your premium if you've got a solid emergency fund. Just be ready to cover it if something goes wrong.

3. Scrub your coverage line by line
   Ask yourself: "If I wreck my car tomorrow, is this policy enough or too much?" Be ruthless. You're not just buying peace of mind — you're buying a contract.

4. Ask about discounts, all of them
   Military, student, safe driver, low mileage, defensive driving course, paperless billing — there are dozens. Ask, or they won’t tell you.

Bottom line: If it feels high, it probably is.
Car insurance isn't like fine wine that gets better with age. It just gets more expensive if you're not paying attention.

🛟 Business insurance: Why one oversight could cost you everything

If you're selling candles on Etsy, cleaning houses, freelancing online or mowing lawns in your cousin's neighborhood, you need some kind of insurance. All it takes is just one mistake, one injury, one bad-luck Tuesday — and you're out thousands.

Here’s the good news: you can get covered without going broke. Start with this cheat sheet on the cheapest business insurance in 2025 to know how to get the best coverage for less.

3 business insurance types you need 

1. General liability insurance
   This covers the "Oh no, I spilled coffee on their $3,000 MacBook" situations. Think of it as the bouncer that keeps random lawsuits from kicking in your front door.

2. Commercial property insurance
   Got a physical space or expensive gear? This covers fire, theft and disasters.

   (And yes, laptops count, even if you work from a coffee shop.)

3. Professional liability insurance
   This one's for service providers, consultants, designers and anyone whose "oops" can cost a client money. One wrong email? One typo in a contract? One missed deadline? Covered.

More types exist, and you can dig deeper here. But those three? Must-haves for most small business owners.

How to get business insurance without emptying your business account

Step 1: Start with our best small business picks
We break it down by price, quality and what real people like you actually need.

Step 2: Compare at least three quotes
Why? Company A might quote you $68 per month while Company B tries to sneak in a $150-per-month deal for the same thing.

Step 3: Pay only for what you need
No employees? Don't buy workers' compensation. Work from home? Skip commercial auto (unless you're making deliveries). Every extra add-on you don't use is basically tipping the insurance company out of guilt.

Step 4: Ask about bundles and discounts
Did you know some providers offer home and business bundles? Or give price cuts for paying annually or staying claim-free? Ask. Always ask.

Why does this matter, especially in 2025?
Insurers are looking for reasons to charge you more. Don't give them one. Even just last year, premiums rose by 9% to 12% in several states, and some insurers are quietly ditching high-risk small businesses altogether. That means if you wait too long to shop, the price will creep up, or the coverage you need won't even be offered.

💵 Dollar-cost averaging vs. lump sum: The $21,000 gap you need to know

Got a bonus, inheritance or tax refund burning a hole in your pocket? The big question: Do you invest it all at once (lump sum) or spread it out over time (dollar-cost averaging)?

Spoiler alert: The math says lump sum usually wins, but your brain might not agree.

The difference

• Lump sum investing: You invest the entire windfall immediately, giving all your dollars maximum time in the market and exposure to compound growth.

• Dollar-cost averaging (DCA): You spread out your investments over weeks or months (e.g., split $100,000 into $10,000 chunks invested monthly), reducing the risk of putting all your money in at a market high and delaying full market participation.

The numbers
Historically, investing a windfall all at once beats dollar-cost averaging about 68% of the time, according to Vanguard. Why? Markets trend upward more often than not. The longer your money is invested, the more it can grow.

Example: $100,000 invested as a lump sum grows to about $216,000 in 10 years (assuming 8% annual compound return).

That same $100,000 invested via monthly DCA over 12 months grows to about $195,000.

That's a $21,000 difference over a decade, just by investing sooner.

You can see this effect in action using a compound interest calculator. Play around with the numbers. Start with $100,000 invested immediately versus the same amount spread over 12 months. The difference will surprise you.

The catch
Lump sum investing feels risky, especially in a volatile market. That’s where DCA shines:

• Reduces the chance of “bad timing”

• Smooths out emotional highs and lows

• Easier psychologically if you’re new to investing

The strategy

Option 1: Lump sum: Best for long-term investors with high risk tolerance. Maximize returns by getting funds in the market early.

Option 2: DCA: If you lose sleep investing all at once or might bail out during a downturn, DCA is worth the trade-off for peace of mind.

Option 3: Hybrid approach: Some investors combine both, putting half in immediately and averaging the rest, to balance emotional comfort and return potential.

Bottom line: Your money has an expiration date
Every day you delay investing is a day you're not earning compound returns. That windfall isn't going to invest itself, and it's certainly not going to grow sitting in your checking account earning virtually nothing.

Stop overthinking it. Pick a strategy, stick with it and let compound interest work its magic.

Smart Cents gives you actionable tips and mindset shifts to help you reach your financial happy place. Thanks for being a part of our community.

The MoneyGeek Team

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